


Ashes to Ashes

by mysticmajestic



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Slow Burn, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-28 23:07:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17796500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticmajestic/pseuds/mysticmajestic
Summary: After breaking up with Curtis, Shiro disappears off the face of the universe. Still suffering from the loss of Allura, Lance goes missing too. A chance encounter in a remote planet on the far corner of the universe is their last hope they'll ever have at happiness.





	Ashes to Ashes

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back! Had some mental health shit to work out, but I think I've recovered. Not promising speedy updates as I am a full-time university student but I'm going to do the best that I can.

“Takashi, I just don’t think this is working out.” Curtis sat on the opposite side of the kitchen table they hadn’t otherwise used for months, hands clasped delicately on top. “I really wish we could make this work, but your mind is still in that war. I don’t think you know how to leave it. And that’s just not something I can put up with anymore.”

He fiddled with his engagement ring, twisting and turning it as if making sure it would be loose enough to pull off and hand back once they had both come to an agreement to terminate the wedding and their relationship. Shiro kept his eyes on that ring, remembering how excited he was when he’d bought it, hoping against hope that marrying Curtis and becoming a family man would chase away the war and all the damage it had wreaked on him. Guess not.

“You get what I’m saying?” Curtis asked, and Shiro could practically hear him cringing. “Don’t get me wrong; I want this to work. But it’s just not going to. I, um…” He paused, took a deep breath, then continued, “I called my mother. She’s going to let me stay with her for a while whilst I get myself sorted out. You can do whatever you want with this place—it is in your name, after all, so you, uh, don’t really need my permission. But. Yeah.”

“I tried,” Shiro whispered. “To make this work. I really tried.”

Curtis reached out a hand as if he were about to put it atop Shiro’s. Then he retracted it, put both hands on his lap under the table with a sigh. “I know you did. But I guess…I guess we just weren’t meant to be, no matter how much we wanted to be.”

“Right.”

The silence stretched out between them for a long time. Eventually, Curtis sighed once more and slipped off the ring, setting it down on the table by Shiro’s hand.

“It doesn’t feel right for me to keep this,” said Curtis, standing. The air was fraught with tension, of things that they wanted to say but didn’t. “I’ll just go and…get my stuff and go.”

There were a couple of suitcases and duffel bags waiting by the door, all of it packed up today whilst Shiro had been out at work, planning for a trip to a moon in Quadrant 3 Sector 24.5.6. Curtis had already been transferred out of ATLAS, choosing a comfortable desk job at NASA. The signs were all there, but, Shiro noted as he listened to Curtis leave the room, he hadn’t wanted to notice them. Put the blindfold on and the ear plugs in and stuck his head in the sand for good measure.

If anyone asked how long Shiro sat at the table after Curtis finished loading his stuff in his car and peeled out of the driveway for the last time, Shiro wouldn’t be able to tell them. In the arms of his grief, the oldest friend he’d ever had, he sat there in the dark with the engagement ring on the table, and he felt nothing.  

 

* * *

 

**August 23 rd**

Keith: Hey Shiro, just checking in to make sure you’re alright.

**Ausgust 24 th**

Keith: Shiro?

Pidge: Love you, Shiro. We’re here for you when you’re ready to talk.

Hunk: I’m sorry to hear you and Curtis broke up, that really sucks. Just wanted to know that we’re all here for you, and we love you. If you ever need a distraction, I can get you into my restaurant for free whenever you like. Always an open ear here man.

**September 1 st **

Keith: You’re really starting to scare me, man. I’m getting the others.

You have missed a call from KEITH: No message was left.

You have missed a call from HUNK: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

You have missed a call from KEITH: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

You have missed a call from KEITH: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

You have missed a call from PIDGE: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

You have missed a call from KEITH: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

You have missed a call from HUNK: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

Hunk: Please tell us you’re at least alive.

**September 9 th**

Keith: ATLAS just phoned me because I’m your next of kin, and they said you haven’t been to work in days? C’mon man, this isn’t like you.

You have missed a call from KEITH: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

Pidge: Shiro, where are you? This isn’t like you. Please talk to us—we’re here for you!

You have missed a call from PIDGE: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

Hunk: This really isn’t cool, man. I get you and Lance are dealing with grief, but for the two of you to just go off the grid like this? Nuh uh. Not on. Answer your phone.

You have missed a call from HUNK: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

You have missed a call from KEITH: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

**September 11 th **

Keith: Pidge says you refused to see her? What the hell? We’re worried about you. We get that the breakup’s been hard, but you can’t just shut yourself away like this. I have to go on a mission with the Blades so my communications will be down, but I’ll message you when I’m back.

Pidge: Don’t think I’m gonna let you get away with this. I’m putting all my feelers out trying to find you and Lance. I won’t let the two of you hide for the rest of your lives. We’re all worried about the two of you.

Hunk: I get it, man. Maybe you feel like you can't talk to us because we're always so busy now. I mean, it's been two days since my last message to you. I've had my hands full with intergalactic diplomats and their weird palates. But let me tell you that we are NEVER too busy to care for you. If you call, we'll pick up. If you ask us to keep you company, we'll drop everything and come running. You aren't alone, Shiro.

**September 22 nd**

Keith: Answer me, Shiro! It’s almost been a month! You’re scaring me man. First Lance, now you? Fuck sake. If you want to be alone, that’s fine, but you need to at least tell me you’re alive. Have you been back to work? I told them you were dealing with some stuff but you really need to go back.

Pidge: Please Shiro.

Hunk: We’re not mad at you. I promise. Talk to us.

**September 24 th**

Keith: WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU? ATLAS JUST RANG ME AND SAID YOU HAVEN’T BEEN TO WORK FOR TWO WEEKS. SHIRO! WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?!

Pidge: Matt said your house was dark when he came to visit today, and that you didn't answer your door. Shiro, where are you???

Hunk: Hello Shiro, this is Coran. The team have informed me of what is going on, and I have to say that I am extremely worried about you, as well as Lance, and wish you would return our messages. We are worried about you. It is okay not to be okay, but it is not okay to worry the people that love you. And we do love you, Shiro, very much. Coran. Xxx.  

**September 30 th **

Keith: I came over to your house to check on you and it’s empty. Where are you?! No one has seen or heard from you. I’ve put out a missing persons report on you, and one’s gone out for Lance. This is not okay. PICK UP YOUR DAMN PHONE.

**October 1 st**

You have missed a call from KEITH: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

You have missed a call from KEITH: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

You have missed a call from KEITH: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

You have missed a call from KEITH: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

You have missed a call from KEITH: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

You have missed a call from KEITH: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

You have missed a call from KEITH: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

You have missed a call from KEITH: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

You have missed a call from KEITH: You have one voicemail message. Please call 090.

 

 


End file.
